Cotton-harvesting machine



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1}.

E. L. BAKER. GOTTON HARVESTING MACHINE.

No. 459,623. 4 Patented Sept. 15, 18

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} E. L. BAKER. COTTON HARVESTING MACHINE- Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

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E. L. BAKER. COTTON HARVESTING MACHINE.

No. 459,623. Pat 11116 t. 15,1891.

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(No Model.)

B. L. BAKER. COTTON HARVESTING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

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(No Model.)

No. 459,623. Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

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E. L. BAKER. COTTON HARVESTING MAGHINE.

No. 459,623. Patented Sept. 15,, 1891. 21916:

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[ UNITED STATES I ATENT OFFICE EDVARD LARRABEE BAKER, OF RAOINE,VISCONSIN.

COTTON-HARVESTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,623, datedSeptember 15, 1891.

Application filed April 10, 1889. Renewed March 23, 1891. fierial No.386,027. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD LARRABEE BAKER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State ofVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCotton-Harvestin g Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to cotton-harvesters, and has for-its object toprovide a machine which will sever the stalks of cotton-plants from theground, carry them through the machine, which will strip the cotton fromthe stalks, and discharge them from the machine.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one form in which I havecontemplated embodying my invention, and it is fully disclosed in thefollowing specification and claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a right side elevation of my improvedcotton-harvester, some of the operative parts being indicated in dottedlines. Fig. 2 is a longitudt nal vertical section through the center ofthe machine. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the operative parts. Fig. 4 isa similar view, the aprons of the picker-platform and other parts of themachine being removed to show those located beneath. Fig. 5 is a leftside elevation of the main body of the machine, showing the gearing forthe operative parts. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the construction forattaching the picker-platform to the main body of the machine. Fig. 7 isa sectional View of the picker-platform, showing the gearing for theparts mounted thereon.

The main body of the harvester consists of a rectangular box-like framecomprising the bottom or main platform A and the sides A A with suitableend pieces, and a roof or top may be employed, if desired. The main bodyis provided with axles and supporting-wh eels in any preferred manner.Near the forward end of'the main body, and preferably atthe right of thesame, is an inclined platform B, which I term the picker-platform, whichis connected to the main body by a connection permitting movement ofsaid picker-platform in all directions. This is accomplished,preferably, by means of the construction shown in Fig. 6, and the saidconnection is such that power may be transmitted from a shaft on themain body to devices located upon the pickerplatform in whateverposition said platform may be placed. The side A of the main body isprovided with a casting Z), bolted or otherwise secured thereto, whichis provided at each end with bearings b b. A shaft 17 passes throughsaid bearings and through bearings formed at one end of abracket-casting 19 forming ahinge connection. This shaft is provided atits lower end with a'bevel gear b which receives motion from abevel-gear b on ashaft connected with one ofthe driving-Wheels of themachine, and the other end of said shaft 19 is provided with abevel-gear b. The other extremity of the bracket-casting b is providedwith hearings to receive a shaft 0, and said casting is of such formthat shafts c and b will preferably be perpendicular to each other. Theshaft 0 also passes through bearings c, secured to the picker-platformB, thus forming a hinge connection perpendicular to the hinge connectionformed by the bracket and the side A of the main body. 'One end of shaft0 is provided with a bevel-gear c engaging gear b on shaft b and itsother extremity carries the gear 0 Upon the picker-platform are mountedthe shafts d d and e e, which carry the endless aprons or carriers D andE, respectively. These shafts are mounted in bearings in the platform B,and their upper ends are supported by bearings in brackets attachedtothe platform on each side of the same, as shown in Fig. 3, or in anyother manner desired.

Above .the platform B is a supplemental platform B, and between the twosprocketwheels (1 d and e e are mounted rigidly on shafts d d and e 6,respectively, and chains connect said sprockets d d and e e forimparting positive. motion to the shafts d e, which carry the rotarycutters F and G, mounted thereon above the platform B. The

shafts d and e are coupled together by means of sprocket wheels andchains, and the lower extremity of the shaft cl is provided with abevel-gear (Z which engages the gear 0 and transmits the motion impartedto shaft 0 to the devices on the picker-platform. The end- ICO / lessaprons D and E may pass around shafts d cl and e e, or I may provide, aseparate shaft for one or both aprons in advance of shafts d e, ifdesired. The apron D preferably extends to the rear farther than apronE, so that the stalks, when they have been carried up to the highestpoint,will be forced by the elasticity of the branches to fall towardthe body of the machine. The rotary cutters F and G revolve toward eachother and sever the stalks near the ground. The cutter F is providedwith suitable blades and the cutter G with curved fingers which gatherthe stalks and force them against the blades of the part E. Thepicker-platform is preferably forked at its front end and extendsforward in two narrow tapering portions c,between which isa spacegraduallydecreasingtoward the cutters, and this construction serves toinsure the stalks being brought directly to the cutters and severedbythem. The forward end of the picker-platform is very close to theground when the machine isin operation, and said platform is connectedby means of chains or other constructions with levers mounted upon themachine-body adjacent to the drivers seat, whereby the position of theplatform can be controlled by the operator, and the platform raised orlowered or moved laterally to insure the proper cutting of the stalks,these motions being allowed by the universaljoint connection beforedescribed withoutinterfering with the proper operation of the parts.

In the drawings I have shown the main frame or platform as provided withan arched frame X, having rollers mounted thereon to receive a chain 00,attached at one end to the picker platform and at the other to a drum Y,mounted upon the main frame and provided with a suitableactuating-lever.

The lateral adjustment of the picker-platform is controlled by anypreferred mechanism. I have shown said platform provided with a slottedlink Z, which may be secured and the platform held in the desiredposition by means of the nut e or other construction.

In the drawings I have shown the pickerplatform adjusted to itsinnermost position; but it may be adjusted outwardly to any desiredextent. The platform being inclined, the upper portion of thecarrier-aprons D and E will be slightly in advance of the cutters,

and said aprons are adjusted to run so close together as to grasp thestalks between them before they reach the cutters and hold them whilebeing severed.

When the machine is out of operation, the picker-platform may be raisedinto a horizontal or substantially horizontal position, and bemaintained in any suitable manner.

Within the main body of the machine, preferably near the forward end andon the same side as the picker-platform, is mounted the wheel H, whichis of considerable size and provided with a broad face. The side wall Aof the body is cut away near the picker-platform. Adjacent to the bottomof this cutaway portion is mounted a shaft 1, which is journaled in thesides of the machine and provided with a broad-faced pulley z'. Asimilar shaft K is mounted above shaft I, near the top of the machine,and provided with a pulley 70, similar to pulley 2'. At the rear end ofthe machine is mounted another shaft J, carrying three or morepulleysjjj, arranged side by side, and a similar shaft L is mounted atthe rear of the wheel H and adjacent to the periphery thereof andprovided with three or more pulleys Z Z Z. Two or more endless chains,cords, or belts, as

preferred, (three chains being shown,) passover the wheel H, under thepulleys Z ll, over pulleys j j j, thence toward the front of the machineover pulley k, around pulley i, and thence to the wheel H, forming acontinuous operative connection. These chains will be drawn taut, and Imay provide the shafts of one or more pulleys with adjustable bearingsfor tightening said chains, if I desire. When motion is applied to thewheel H, it will revolve and impart motion to the chains. The

series of pulleys j j j and Z Z Z will allow for wheels willbe of suchrelative sizes as to insure the wheel H being rotated at the properdegree of speed.

At intervals around the upper portion of the wheel H are mounted anumber of rotary devices for acting upon the cotton-stalks to remove thecotton therefrom, which I term cotton-stripping devices. Of thesedevices M M are two rollers, mounted in suitable bearings and locatedone above and the other below the periphery of wheel H. N N are twobrushes similarly arranged with respect to wheel H. O is a rollerjournaled above wheel H, the periphery ofwhich is provided with grooveshaving a very slight pitch. 0 O are two rollers, located the one abovethe other below the periphery of wheel H and having grooves of a greaterpitch than roller 0. These three rollers are located in close proximityto each other. P P are a pair of rotary brushes similar to N N.

At a point adjacent to the forward edge of wheel H are located beaters QQ, preferably consisting of springs provided with projections adapted tobe engaged by tappets on a tappet-shaft R',which is located in properposition to have its tappets engage the same,

ITO

and journaled in the sides of the machine. These beaters may be of anypreferred form, and I may employ as many as I may find most effective.In the drawings I have shown .two; but there may be a larger or smallerlocated beneath the periphery of the wheel H, I may provide the plate H,if desired, which is so formed as to conform in shape to the upper partof the wheel H and be of slightly less diameter. This plate may besuitably attached to the bottom of the machine and will provide bearingsfor the abovementioned shafts.

Beneath the beaters Q Q and the cotton stripping devices is an endlesscarrier-apron I R, upon which falls the cotton after it has been removedfrom the stalks, and which carries the said cotton up and delivers it tothe cotton-separating devices. Of these devices, S S are two rollers,preferably provided with spiral grooves. T is an endless slattedcarrier, which is mounted at an angle to the bottom of the machine andhas a movement transversely of the same. This carrier may consist ofendless belts joined by slats or strips, or it may be of otherconstruction, so as to form a series of slats. Just above the lower edgeof this slatted carrier is mounted a roller T, having its exteriorprovided with cardclothing, and above said card-roller are journaled therollers s, s, and s sis a roller provided at intervals with short piecesofchain or wire and adapted to beat upon any material carried by thecard-roller. The cotton will be engaged and held by the card-clothing,while the chains of the shaft 3 will beat back all pieces of branchesand like foreign material. 3 is a roller provided with spiked teeth uponits periphery, which are so arranged as to force back all foreign matterwhich has passed the roller 8, but which allows the cotton on thecard-cylinder to be carried past it. S is a brush which brushes all thecotton off of the card-roller and deposits it upon an endless carrier Twhich is suitably mounted beneath the same. The aprons R and T and theseparating devices may be actuated in any desired way. I have shown achain passing over sprocketwheels on shafts of roller T and apron T androllers s s s driven by a chain from another sprocket-wheel on the shaftof roller T, the apron R, rollers S and 8 being given their properdirections of rotation by pinions gearing with pinions on adjacentshafts. The slatted apron T may be driven by means of beveled gearingfrom a counter-shaft actuated from the driving-wh eel.

I provide an endless apron L for conveying the stalks after they havebeen stripped of cotton to the rear end of the machine, where they aredischarged, and this apron may be driven by a chain-or belt from theshaft J or L, as desired, as shown in Fig. 5. The forward part of themachine is provided adjacent to the opening in the wall A, beforereferred to, with a curved inclined guidingvplate I for guiding thestalks into a position where they can be acted upon by -thegripping-chains.

In order to facilitate the action of the gripping-chains and to deliverthe stalks to them, I may provide a series of endless belts K, havingprojections thereon passing over ,the pulleys I and K between thechains, and

these belts will assist in placing the stalks in .position to be grippedbetween the chains and the periphery of the wheel H.

The operation is as follows: The machine is drawn along with thepicker-platform in line with a row of cottonplants. As the machineadvances the stalks will be grasped by the endless aprons DE and severedby the revolving cutters F G. The stalks are then carried upward by thecarriers D E, and will fall over through the cut-away portion of theside A upon the inclined guide I, and will be taken up by the endlessbelts K and car-, ried between the gripping-chains and the periphery ofthe Wheel H, where they will be firmly gripped. At the same time therevolution of the tappet-shaft R will cause'the beaters Q Q to strikethe branches and knock from them all the ripe lo'ose cotton. The

stalks will then be drawn by the gripping chains and wheel H between therollers M M, which crush and open the dried bolls and press and flattenthe branches. They next pass between the rotary brushes NN which removeall the'cotton and bolls which have been loosened by the rolls M M fromthe branches. The stalks pass next through the spirally-grooved rollersO, O, and O and the remaining green bolls are crushed and loosened fromthe branches. They pass next to the brushes P P, where the remainingcotton and bolls will be brushed off, and the stalks, entirely strippedof cotton, will fall from the gripping-chains upon the apron L and bedischarged from the machine. The cotton stripped or otherwise detachedfrom the stalks by the devices just described falls upon the apron R,together with any foreign materials which may have beendetached, such asleaves, sticks, dirt, and fragments of crushed bolls. The apron Rconducts this massas it falls upon it to the rolls S S, where the bollsare thoroughly crushed and opened, from whence itfalls upon the slattedapron T. As this apron roller T while the dirt, sticks, &c., will dropthrough the slats oi the apron, from whence they may be removed inany'desired way. If, however, any foreign matter should adhere to thecotton upon the card-roller, it will be beaten back by the chains onroller 3 or the spikes on roller 8', and such foreign matter as does notfall through the slats of the apron T will be carried to the side of themachine, and may be discharged upon the bottom of the machine or throughan opening therein upon the ground. The roller 3 will strip the cottonfrom the card-roll and deposit it'upon the carrier-apron T which willcarry it to a suitable receptacle or' deposit it in some convenientportion of the main body of the machine, as desired.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact constructions herein shown anddescribed, as other equivalent devices'might be employed and changesmade therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In-a cotton-harvester, the combination, with the picker-platform, ofendless belts mounted thereon, adapted to seize the cotton-plants andcarry'them to the rear of the picker-platform, of gripping devicesextending from the rear of the picker-platform to the rear of themachine, adapted to seize the plants delivered by the belts of thepickerplatform and convey them through cottoncleaning devices to therear of the machine, substantially as described.

2. In a cotton-harvester, the combination of endless belts or chains anda wheel the periphery of which is engaged by said endless bolts orchains, adapted to grip the cottonstalks between said wheel and chainsand carry the same through cotton cleaning devices in the arc of theperiphery of the wheel, substantially as described.

3. In a cotton-harvester, the combination, with endless belts or chainsand a wheel a considerable portion of the periphery of which is engagedby said endless belts or chains, adapted to grip the cotton-stalksbetween said wheel and chains, of endless chains engaging the peripheryof said wheel tangentially between said gripping-chains and probeltsbetween the supports for the same, of cotton-stripping devices arrangedat one side of said wheel in close proximity thereto and in an arccorresponding to the periphery of the wheel, said cotton-strippingdevices being .main body of the harvester opposite the extended portionof the outer apron, and gripping and carrying devices for taking theplants from said trough and carrying them rearwardly of the machine,substantially as :described.

7. In a cotton-harvester, the combination,

with the main body of the same, of a pickerplatform provided withendless belts for seizing and carrying the cotton-plants, a trough inthe main body adapted to receive the cotton-plants from thepicker-platform, a wheel located just in rear of said trough, endless,chains extending into said trough and engaging a considerable portionof said wheel, and an endless belt or apron extending from the rear ofsaid wheel to the rear of the main body, substantially as described. 8.In a cotton-harvester, the combination, with the gripping and carryingdevices for .the plants, of spring-beaters located adjacent to thetravel of said plants, and a tappet-shaft for operating said heaters,substantially as described.

9. In a cotton-harvester, the cotton-cleaning devices consisting ofcrushing-rolls, an inclined table located beneath the same, acardcylinder adapted to receive cotton from said table, beaters, and astripping-roller for said card-cylinder, said table being slatted toallow refuse material to pass through the same, substantially asdescribed. 10. In a cotton-harvester, the cotton-cleaning devicesconsisting of the crushing-rolls, an inclined endless apron beneath thesame and moving longitudinally thereof, a cardcylinder adjacent to thelower edge of said apron, beaters, and a stripping-roller for saidcard-cylinder, said apron being slatted, substantially as described.

11. In a cotton-harvester, the cotton-cleaning devices consisting ofcrushing rolls, an inclined slatted endless apron adapted to movelongitudinally of said rolls and located beneath the same, acard-cylinder located adjacent to the lower edge of said apron adaptedto receive cotton therefrom, heaters, and a stripping-roller for saidcard-cylinder, where,

by refuse material not passing through said apron will be dischargedfrom the machine by the same, substantially as described.

12. In a cotton-harvester, the cotton-stripping devices consisting ofplain crushing-rolls vices adjacent to such end, substantially as 10 andgrooved crushing-rolls, brushes in rear of described the plaincrushing-rolls and brushes in the In testimony whereof Iaffixmysignature in rear of the grooved crushing-rolls, one each presence oftwo witnesses.

5 or more .of each of said devices being on 0pposite sides of the travelof the cotton-plants EDWARD LARRABEE BAKER within the machine, saidparts being con- WVitnesses: structed at one end for the admission ofma- RICHARD EMERSON, terial between them, and plant-carrying de- G. C.HALL.

